


Magic in the Air

by Copperstown



Category: McFly, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Break Up, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, Multi, Realization
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2013-11-04
Packaged: 2017-12-31 12:56:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1031952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Copperstown/pseuds/Copperstown
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom uses Danny and Georgia’s engagement to make Zayn realize some things about his own engagement to Perrie and his feelings for Liam.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Magic in the Air

**Author's Note:**

> These things always hit me out of nowhere, jfc.

“You know, no matter how long you’ve been together, when you first get engaged it’s like those first days of dating all over again,” Tom says, glancing over at where Danny and Georgia are cuddled up so close it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other one begins. Zayn isn’t actually quite sure what arm belongs to who over there.

“True, and the first few weeks after getting married is the same,” Harry Judd nods.

“Aw,” Izzy coos next to him. She strokes his hair and places a kiss at the crown of his head before walking over to where Dougie is feeding treats to Danny’s dogs.

They’re gathered in Danny and Georgia’s house, all of One Direction and McFly and their significant others, for a Baby Fletcher Celebration dinner, as he’d named it when he called everyone to invite them.

“There’s magic in the air after big things like that,” Tom sighs.

“Like finding out you’re having a baby,” Harry grins and nudges Tom in the ribs. Tom grins and shoves Harry’s shoulder. “Man. I can’t believe you’re gonna be a dad. It’s so weird. It’s so amazing, but it’s weird too. There was a time when I couldn’t really imagine any of us four having kids, and now you’re having one.”

“The video was great,” Zayn says. “It was really cute.”

“Thanks,” Tom replies and takes a sip of his soda. There’s no alcohol tonight. “So does Izzy have baby fever yet?”

“We’ve been talking, but not very much, not yet,” Harry says evasively. Tom and Zayn both grin at him, and he rolls his eyes. They’re quiet for a moment, and then Harry points in Danny and Georgia’s direction again. “He might say the wedding stuff is starting to stress him out, but I don’t think he’s ever been more proud of a decision than he’s proud of his decision to propose to Georgia. I mean, just look at them.”

Zayn does look at them, and Harry’s right. Georgia’s attempting to get up, but Danny won’t really let her go.

“He’s definitely not regretting anything there,” Tom agrees.

There’s a loud squeak, and then Lara’s laughing as she calls Harry over to help her get Dougie away from the dog food he apparently decided to try eating. Tom doubles over laughing as Harry gets up and leaves.

Zayn looks around for a moment. Perrie isn’t here, as the only absent significant other, because she’s busy. Eleanor and Louis are talking with Giovanna, while Niall and Harry Styles play with the dogs that have abandoned Dougie, and Liam is talking with Izzy.

“I’m assuming none of this is news to you,” Tom breaks the silence between him and Zayn, and Zayn tears his eyes away from Liam to look back at the blonde with a confused look, because he’s not sure what Tom means. “All this about feeling like you just fell in love when you get engaged. I’m assuming you’re familiar with that feeling.” Zayn shrugs. “Are you and Perrie as disgustingly cute as Danny and Georgia? Not like me and Gi were any better, but you know.”

“I haven’t really… no, not that I know of? I don’t think we have,” Zayn frowns. It sounds wrong, saying it out loud. Tom raises his eyebrows. “We just – we haven’t had a lot of time together since we got engaged?”

“Right,” Tom says, but he doesn’t sound like he believes Zayn. “I suppose it’s different for all couples. I just have to admit, I haven’t seen any who go unaffected by the new bling, even if they’re far apart.”

“Well, me and Perrie aren’t really like most other couples,” Zayn says.

“True, that. And you know, maybe it’s a good thing that nothing’s changed,” Tom shrugs, but there’s something in his eyes that makes Zayn wonder what he’s actually trying to say. It’s like he’s an old father (and Jesus Christ, Tom is going to _be_ a father next year) giving cryptic advice and hiding it in casual conversations. “Maybe that means you and Perrie will be stable like that all the time.”

Now _that_ Zayn knows isn’t true, because he and Perrie are many awesome things, but they’re _not_ stable. They’re up and down and all over the place.

It’s a little exhausting sometimes.

“I wouldn’t go without the magic moments, though,” Tom continues. “One of the best things about getting engaged to Giovanna and about our wedding was that I could still feel all that love magic crap or whatever, even though we’ve been together for years. At one point I tried to calm myself down about the proposal by telling myself that we’re already living together so what difference in my life would it really make? At least practically. But those magic moments mean that there was still a difference, maybe not one in my day-to-day life, but there was something more… I don’t know, spiritual, I guess, that changed when we got engaged. And we definitely acted like love-sick puppies, and we grossed everyone out, and it was one of the best things ever.”

Zayn nods, like he understands, but he doesn’t. He’s never felt any of that with Perrie. He loves her, but not the way Tom loves Giovanna, clearly.

Not the way Harry loves Izzy.

Not the way Danny loves Georgia.

“Tom,” Zayn starts, but he stops himself again immediately, biting his tongue. Something’s wrong, isn’t it?

“Zayn,” Tom says and looks directly into Zayn’s eyes. “The most important thing in the world is that you’re happy. If Perrie makes you happy, then that’s great, even if you can’t recognize any of we’re saying about our engagements. Don’t let that freak you out if Perrie makes you happy. But since I can tell that you’re already thinking along those lines,” Zayn gives Tom a flat look, because Tom’s eyes very clearly state that he _wanted_ to make Zayn think along those lines. “it’s best to think about these things before the wedding. It’s more fair if you don’t wait until you’re miserable a few years down the line.”

“Honey, do you remember how long the baby is?” Giovanna calls over, and Tom gets up with one last, meaningful look at Zayn, before he goes over to his wife.

Zayn doesn’t know how long he sits in his chair, staring blankly at the people around him, but since no one says anything, he assumes it isn’t very long. He’s broken out of his reverie when Georgia strokes a hand through his hair on her way back to Danny. She sits down in his lap, beaming smiles on both their faces.

Zayn has never had that sort of thing with Perrie. He’s pretty sure he’s seen something similar with Louis and Eleanor. Maybe not something quite as strong, but something similar.

And then Zayn’s eyes land on Liam.

Liam’s cooing over Giovanna’s ultrasound picture with Niall, and he looks gorgeous. He hasn’t even really done anything special, because they’ve stopped making themselves extra presentable when seeing the McFly boys, but he still looks gorgeous. Zayn wants to hug him forever. He wants to kiss him.

And where did _that_ come from?

It’s not like Zayn hasn’t had fantasies about kissing Liam before, but they usually involved a lot of build-up and flirting, which they do a lot of. It’s never hit him out of the blue like that.

One glance at Danny and Georgia, and Zayn has to admit that he has an idea where it came from.

One glance at Tom, who’s looking significantly at Zayn, and he knows what the talk was all about.

Before he can change his mind, he steps outside and dials Perrie’s number.

“Hello?” she says, the remnants of a giggle in her voice. It does nothing for Zayn, and he wants to hit himself for not noticing before.

“Hey Perrie, it’s me,” he says.

“Well hello handsome stranger,” Perrie says, giggling again. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Listen, um,” Zayn takes a deep breath. “We really need to talk soon. And no, we can’t do it over the phone, it needs to be in person, so can I come over tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Perrie replies. The giggles are completely gone now. “It’s about the engagement, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Zayn cringes.

“It’s about Liam, right?”

It takes a moment for Zayn to get over the shock of her saying that. “…Yes,” he finally replies.

“I knew it would happen, babe,” Perrie sounds sympathetic, and maybe a little sad, but not upset. “Jade owes me five pounds for that. Who managed to open your eyes? Liam himself or was it one of your wise old mentors?”

Zayn is flabbergasted. He can’t believe this is her reaction, and he’s sort of expecting everything to go very horribly wrong tomorrow when he sees her.

“Tom said some things that got me thinking,” Zayn replies.

“And now Jade everyone owes me a tenner,” Perrie says. “Look, we’ll talk more tomorrow, okay? Enjoy the evening.”

They say their goodbyes just as Liam pokes his head out Danny’s front door.

“What are you doing out here, it’s freezing,” he asks, teeth already chattering a bit. To be fair, he’s not wearing anything over his t-shirt, and it’s November, so it’s pretty damn cold.

“I called Perrie,” Zayn says. Liam nods briefly, but now that Zayn’s looking for it, he can see the shadow in Liam’s eyes when Zayn mentions Perrie. “I think we just broke off our engagement.”

Liam’s eyes widen comically fast.

“What? Why? What happened?” he asks, sounding genuinely worried. Bless him.

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Zayn grabs the back of Liam’s neck and pulls him in for a kiss. Liam makes a surprised noise, but he quickly melts into it, just like Zayn is, and starts kissing back, and to Zayn, it’s absolute _bliss and heaven_. There are fireworks going off in his mind, and he’s beginning to see the magic Tom and Harry were talking about.

Sometimes Zayn thinks Tom might be a little too worldly wise for his own good.

“Oh,” Liam says breathily when he and Zayn separate. “That’s why.”

“Yeah, if you’re okay with that,” Zayn mumbles.

“With what?” Liam’s eyes don’t leave Zayn’s lips. It makes Zayn smile.

“With you and me doing more of that instead of me and Perrie,” he explains.

“Oh. Yeah, yeah, I’m definitely okay with that,” Liam grins. Zayn grins back and he’s about to pull Liam in for another kiss when Liam pulls him inside. Which is a good idea because _November_. But once the door is closed again behind them, Zayn goes back to his original plan and pulls Liam in for a longer, dirtier kiss.

Just before h closes his eyes, he can see Tom giving him a smug grin and a thumbs up, and yeah. Sometimes Tom is too worldly wise for his own good.

And sometimes that brings some pretty good results.


End file.
